Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) is under federal investigation for suspected campaign finance violations.
News of the federal investigation came the same day the Senate Ethics Committee closed its own investigation into allegations of campaign finance violations. A source familiar with the investigation confirmed the inquiry to the Washington Examiner. Axios reported that the investigation stems from a “whistleblower complaint” out of Southern California, citing a source familiar with the situation.
A spokesperson for the senator told Axios that the investigation was President Donald Trump personally targeting Gallego with “the most weaponized Department of Justice in history,” all while “turning a blind eye to Trump’s unprecedented corruption.”
“It’s the least surprising news of the week that this comes immediately after the Senate Ethics Committee cleared Senator Gallego of right-wing smears pushed by the administration,” the spokesperson said.
Scrutiny toward Gallego intensified beginning in April, when Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) filed a complaint with the Senate Ethics Committee, accusing the senator of campaign finance violations and inappropriate sexual activity toward several women. After a two-month investigation, the committee dismissed the investigation, saying it didn’t find evidence of wrongdoing.
SENATE ETHICS BOARD DISMISSES LUNA’S MISCONDUCT COMPLAINT AGAINST GALLEGO
The brief respite may not last long, however, as the committee clarified that it retains the authority to revisit the allegations if further evidence emerges, evidence that could be uncovered by the federal investigation.
Gallego has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and cast the allegations as politically motivated. The accusations in the Senate Ethics Committee investigation include that the senator used campaign funds on personal matters ranging from vacations and Super Bowl tickets to babysitting.
Kaelan Deese contributed to this story.